Quiet(Fifth Officer Harold Lowe - Titanic love story)
by ari.walbert
Summary: Adeline Dewitt Bukator was adopted when she was seven, now nineteen, her family, fiance and sister's fiance all board the ship of dreams. They both meet someone new and realize that their engagements won't make it to New York and neither will the ship.
1. Hat

The doorknob turned and the small attic door opened. She looked down at the girl, her beautiful red hair a disheveled mess. "Adeline, we are leaving in twenty minutes." The girl, Adeline, looked back over at the woman and nodded silently. One of the many servants of the household, Jeannette, walked into the room as Ruth walked out. "Come on child, we'd better hurry if we don't want to be left behind." the servant said to the girl. She nodded once again and stood. Jeannette pulled a corset out of the wardrobe. Adeline took off her nightgown and slipped into the corset. Jeannette tightened the corset around the girl's small frame and helped her into the dress. She brushed the girl's hair and put the tiniest bit of makeup on her face. She put her shoes on her feet and quickly packed the rest of her things into trunks. Adeline quietly walked down the stairs of the attic and then the stairs to the first floor of the house. There, Rose, Cal, Ruth and James were all standing there waiting for her. James smiled and took her arm gently.

They walked out to the car that was waiting for them. Cal opened the door for the three ladies and James and he both got in after them. The ride to the dock was quiet, no one said anything. Once they arrived, Cal was the first one out of the car, then Rose, then Ruth, followed by James and Adeline. "I don't see what all the fuss is about, it doesn't look any bigger than the Mauritania." Rose said. "It's over a hundred feet longer than Mauritania and far more luxurious." Cal replied. They began walking to the ship as Cal and LoveJoy stopped to talk to a steward. Cal joined them and they walked up the ramp and into the ship.

Rose, Trudy and Adeline were taking out the paintings and placing them around the sitting room. "Do you want all of them out, miss?" Trudy asked Rose. "Yes, we need a little color in this room." Rose replied. "Oh god, not those finger paintings again." Cal said, sipping his drink. "The difference between Cal's taste in art and mine, is that I have some. I think they're fascinating." Rose said, placing another painting down. Adeline chuckled quietly to herself. "What's the artist's name?" Trudy asked. "Picasso." Adeline whispered under her breath. "Picasso, he won't amount to a thing." Adeline rolled her eyes at Cal's ignorance. "Well Adeline and I are going to go for a walk." Rose said, taking Adeline's arm. Adeline looked at her in surprise but nodded, looking over at James and Cal. They both nodded and the ladies walked out of the room and down the hall. They stepped out onto the deck and felt the cold air blow past them. As the strong gust of wind blew, Adeline's hat flew right off of her head. She reached out to grab it but missed it by a hair. It flew across the deck and hit a man in an officer's uniform on the back.

The man turned around and looked down at the ground. He raised an eyebrow before leaning down and picking up the hat. He looked around the deck for the owner of the hat and saw two women with red hair standing about twenty feet away, looking at him. He walked over to the women and stopped in front of them. "This is yours I presume." he said to Adeline. "Merci Monsieur." she said in a thick french accent, taking it from him and putting it back on her head. "I'm Harold Lowe." he said, looking at the both of them. "Rose Dewitt Bukator." Rose said, smiling politely. Harold looked at Adeline. "Adeline Dewitt Bukator." she said quietly, looking down at the ground. Harold smiled. "Well it was a pleasure meeting you, ladies, but I'm afraid I must be off. Good evening." He said. Adeline looked back up at him and smiled lightly. "Good evening." she said. "Good evening, Mr. Lowe." she said to him. He smiled at the two of them and glanced quickly at Adeline before turning around and walking toward the front of the ship...


	2. Dinner

Adeline watched the man walk away and smiled to herself. Rose giggled, watching her sister fall in love right before her eyes. Adeline sighed and looked over at Rose. "Shall we?" she asked, motioning to the deck going in the opposite direction that Harold had just gone. Rose chuckled and they began walking. "Why don't you ever speak?" Rose asked Adeline. Adeline looked down at the ground and then back up and her sister. "One day you will learn that it is easiest to smile and nod." she replied. Rose nodded in response. Just then the dinner horn went off. Adeline jumped and Rose placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, in a faint attempt to calm her.

The two girls walked into the state room and went their separate ways into their own bedrooms. Jeannette helped Adeline to dress for dinner. Once she was finished, she walked out of her bedroom and into the sitting room where everyone else was. James smiled at her and stood up from the sofa where he was sitting. He lightly kissed her gloved hand and she smiled at him. He returned the smile and she took his arm. "Ready mother?" Rose asked, taking Cal's arm. They all walked out of the room and down the first class halls.

A steward held the door open for them as they walked into a large room with a glass dome overhead, letting in the natural sunlight. The five of them walked down the grand staircase. As they descended, Adeline caught a glimpse of the officer with the Welsh accent as he ascended the staircase. He glanced over at her and smiled before noticing the man next to her. He sighed and turned away, walking up the stairs and out of sight. Adeline sighed and continued to walk. "Everything okay, sweetpea?" James asked her. She put on a fake smile and nodded. "Yes." she said. She looked back over her shoulder toward the door that he had walked through and then tried to shake him out of her mind. She greeted John Jacob Astor and his wife with a smile. "J.J., Madeleine, how are you?" she asked them.

They ended their short conversation as the clock struck seven. Adeline and James followed Rose, Cal and Ruth to the table that they would be sitting at with Margaret Brown, Bruce Ismay, the owner of the White Star Line, and Mr. Andrews, the ship builder. James pulled out Adeline's chair and she sat down, him sitting next to her. Cal and Rose sat across the table from them.

Rose lit a cigarette and put out the match. "You know I don't like that Rose." Ruth whispered to her, trying not to embarrass herself more than Rose already has. Adeline watched silently as Cal took the cigarette and put it out. "She knows." he replied to Ruth. Adeline placed a hand on her stomach, suddenly feeling very nauseous. "Are you alright, Darling?" James asked, concern filling his eyes. Adeline took a deep breath and looked over at him. "Yes, I just need some fresh air," she told him and turned back to the rest of the people at the table, "Excuse me." she told them, standing up and walking out of the dining hall.

She walked down the halls and out to the bow of the ship. She took a deep breath of the salty sea air and smiled. She put her hands on the railing and looked up at the night sky. After a few moments James came out onto the deck in search for her. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Yes, I think I'm just going to stay out here for a while longer, maybe take a walk around the decks and perhaps go to bed." she replied. He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Go on, have a brandy or two." she told him, smiling lightly. He nodded again and turned around, walking back into the ship.


End file.
